I remember driving home from a tournaments, feeling like I had completely failed.
I made bad decisions, missed key shots, and walked away without a single win. The frustration was real. But looking back, I realize that wasn’t failure. The only way it would’ve been a failure is if I didn’t take the time to understand what went wrong and how to fix it.
Every pool player, whether a beginner or a pro, makes mistakes. In fact, pro players have likely made more mistakes in their careers than most beginners have even taken shots. The difference? They learn from them. They analyze, adjust, and come back stronger.
The truth is, mistakes are the best teachers - if you pay attention. If you’re serious about improving, the real question isn’t “How do I stop making mistakes?” It’s “How do I learn from them and make fewer in the future?”
Over the years, I’ve made countless mistakes. Some small, some that cost me matches, and some that took me years to fully understand. But every one of them taught me something valuable. That’s exactly why I put together a guide with the 12 biggest lessons I’ve learned from over a decade of competitive play. At first, this was just a reminder for myself. But I decided to share it, so you don’t have to make the same mistakes I did. Or at the very least, you’ll be able to recognize them faster and know exactly how to handle them.
If you want to level up your mental game and avoid the pitfalls that hold most players back, you can check it out here.
No matter what, if you read this post till the end and start implementing this mindset, you already made a huge step in the right direction!
Cheers,
Sharivari